Aircraft Mechanics Negotiations Update

[ups767mech]

Again the company has failed to make any movement on the contract with its aircraft mechanics. Below is the phone number to local 2727 hotline message. Call and hear directly from the locals president.

502-239-0983 or 1-800-766-5489


Also view this video of our informational picket from 10/30/08. We will soon have additional pickets in various locations.

Teamsters Local 2727 Picket Line

 

[tellitstraight]

Comon 767mech - why don't you tell everyone what you are asking for and state the facts:
1. You guys are already the hightest paid mechanics in the industry.
2. Pay 0 for healthcare and prescriptions
3. Pension
4. 401K match
I don't have a problem with you negotiating more but how about you negotiate at the table. I may be wrong but I don't think you will find too many people feeling sorry for you in this economy. You may want to take a drive up to Wilmington OH and talk to all the mechanics up there that are about to take massive pay cuts at ABX Air (DHL carrier) thats even if they get to keep their jobs. All posts and picketing like this does is spook our customers which leads to less volume and less jobs for everyone. Don't cut off your nose to spite your face!

I assume now I will get the obligatory union rhetoric with all the associated bravado so lets have it.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

Straight, excellent post. I have to admit that I am not that familiar with this portion of our operation so I am hesitant to comment but it does appear that they are well compensated and receive benefits above the average for the industry. I did read something on BC about UPS expressing a desire to outsource aircraft maintenance to China so perhaps that is an issue in these negotiations.

 

[ups767mech]

Comon 767mech - why don't you tell everyone what you are asking for and state the facts:
1. You guys are already the hightest paid mechanics in the industry.
2. Pay 0 for healthcare and prescriptions
3. Pension
4. 401K match
I don't have a problem with you negotiating more but how about you negotiate at the table. I may be wrong but I don't think you will find too many people feeling sorry for you in this economy. You may want to take a drive up to Wilmington OH and talk to all the mechanics up there that are about to take massive pay cuts at ABX Air (DHL carrier) thats even if they get to keep their jobs. All posts and picketing like this does is spook our customers which leads to less volume and less jobs for everyone. Don't cut off your nose to spite your face!

I assume now I will get the obligatory union rhetoric with all the associated bravado so lets have it.

OK Mr. Management stooge:

Fact : We haven't asked for anything yet

Fact: We are the highest paid in the airline industry

Fact UPS is unbelievably profitable.

Fact: UPS proposes to raise our healthcare 150%.

Fact: UPS proposes to take away our prescriptions

Fact: Pension,Pay and 401k haven't have been talked about yet.

Fact: UPS WANTS TO OUTSOURCE MY JOB TO CHINA

We do negotiate at the table too bad UPS doesn't.Now it moves to the next level.

I should have known the first thing you would say was that we are the highest paid. Typical management propaganda.

If they didn't want the information passed out to the public they should negotiate in good faith.If you haven't noticed DHL is no longer going to operate in this country. Yes very unfortunate for the workers up there. I feel bad that they will be out of work. DHL hasn't been profitable in the US for some time. That's unfortunate. None of them will be keeping their jobs. UPS continues to make record profits even during the " recession ". If you and UPS are so worried about "spooking the customers" give us a contract. We haven't had one in 2 years. We will not accept concessions while the company makes billions. Just not going to happen.

Spin that how you want management stooge those are the facts.

 

[smf0605]

OK Mr. Management stooge:



Fact: We are the highest paid in the airline industry

I should have known the first thing you would say was that we are the highest paid. Typical management propaganda.

How is it propaganda - if you agreed that you are the highest paid in the industry?

 

[dilligaf]

I have a serious problem any aircraft maintenance being outsourced to a foriegn country. Aside from that, I am not completely sure of all the other issues. One is having the cost of benefits raised. There is a thread on this issue.

This is not the best time to be having a strike, as far as the customer is concerned (and for that matter, the company). A strike would affect every single city in this country. All major airports would be shut down. I, for one, would not cross a strike and being the Teamster that I am would support my brothers and sisters in their strike. I don't know for sure how close this is but if it happens during X-mas, oh boy! I would think that it would behove the company to sit down and deal with this issue.

I think that everyone in this country would be afraid of having aircraft maintenance outsourced!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[ups767mech]

How is it propaganda - if you agreed that you are the highest paid in the industry?

Its propaganda to keep bringing up our pay when that is NOT the issue. Mr Managment is trying to sway the focus from the real issues. Which by the way he got you to buy into. Do you have your letter in?

 

[over9five]

. Do you have your letter in?

Anybody that questions you must be management, right Mech? Kinda lame.

 

[drewed]

Seriously bitch bitch bitch thats all this is....why complain if you dont have any issues currently? why not tell us what youd like so we can tell you, youre off your rocker? Our mechanics work 3-14s when they arent pushing back a plane, putting up a tailstand or doing their walk around they have a lot of down time where they may enjoy a big screen tv and what not....Im not sayingi youre employees and youre essential to the operation like every other UPSer but air mechs have the gods gift attitude

 

[smf0605]

Its propaganda to keep bringing up our pay when that is NOT the issue. Mr Managment is trying to sway the focus from the real issues. Which by the way he got you to buy into. Do you have your letter in?

Well, my question was legitimate; I understood propaganda to be the spreading of false information.
Although, I have to admit, you have certainly confused me by asking if I have letter in.

I'm not sure why you felt the need to belittle my question by bringing it back to management vs. non-management.

 

[drewed]

Its like Reds passion without any of his knowledge...

 

[over9five]

Except we never heard Red whine, "What are you, management?"

 

[dragracer66]

Seriously bitch bitch bitch thats all this is....why complain if you dont have any issues currently? why not tell us what youd like so we can tell you, youre off your rocker? Our mechanics work 3-14s when they arent pushing back a plane, putting up a tailstand or doing their walk around they have a lot of down time where they may enjoy a big screen tv and what not....Im not sayingi youre employees and youre essential to the operation like every other UPSer but air mechs have the gods gift attitude

Absolutly correct!!!!!!! They spend most of there time sitting in there trucks on the ramp for 40 something an hour wearing there white uniforms and sleeping. Granted they do have a huge responsibility and have to do alot of schooling but please give us a break. I don't agree with sending there jobs to china but if thats the only sticking part this could have been worked out by now this contract should have been ratified by now. There's more to this than 767 mech is saying you don't work for 2 years without a contract and not go to the tables and ask for nothing like he said. And oh yea before you accuse me too, I'm the farthest thing from management!!!!!

 

[upsdude]

"OK to fly, parts on order"

 

[cachsux]

Christ,this the contract argument all over again. As soon as someone mentions their contract negotiation the sharks come out and attack. These guys are no different than us in deserving a fair contract especially since none of us had our jobs threatened by outsourcing which is becoming common practice with all forms of air travel. Personally I think this should be federally banned.
I could care less if these guys have a God,Buddha,Allah,Hare Krishna complex ,or sacrifice goats or virgins if thats what it takes to keep a plane from dropping out from under me or on top of me. While I would not want to see a strike its becoming common practice for UPS to play this game. If they put up a line at my building I will not cross.

 

[Big Babooba]

Christ,this the contract argument all over again. As soon as someone mentions their contract negotiation the sharks come out and attack. These guys are no different than us in deserving a fair contract especially since none of us had our jobs threatened by outsourcing which is becoming common practice with all forms of air travel. Personally I think this should be federally banned.
I could care less if these guys have a God,Buddha,Allah,Hare Krishna complex ,or sacrifice goats or virgins if thats what it takes to keep a plane from dropping out from under me or on top of me. While I would not want to see a strike its becoming common practice for UPS to play this game. If they put up a line at my building I will not cross.

Don't sacrifice the virgins. Send them to me.

 

[over9five]

100 virgins await you in the afterlife....













......if you vote yes on the contract.

 

[tellitstraight]

OK - I knew that I would be attacked for bringing up legit issues. I will have to admit that I am not familiar with exactly what the outsourcing issue is in China. It seems to me that this is a "buzz word" argument to get everyone all riled up. I am familiar enough with the airline to know that the 2727 contract only covers mechanics in the US (includes Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico). Currently we use contract maintenance overseas for daily maint activities as the aircraft follow their normal rotations around the world. UPS has never done heavy maintenance in house, that has always been outsourced to other companies both in the US and internationally. At one point UPS owned a heavy maint station in Shannon Ireland where we did maint on our 727's.

It does not make financial sense to fly an aircraft all the way back to the US for maintenance if it based internationally. I would agree it would not be right to defer scheduled maintenance in the US just to avoid paying teamsters to perform weekend checks by sending an aircraft to China. I would like 767mech to explain the outsourcing issue without the name calling so we can decide for ourselves.

 

[cachsux]

OK - I knew that I would be attacked for bringing up legit issues.

No one should be attacked for legitimate issues,you or 767 included. I too would like to see this discussed without name calling or assumptions.

 

[705red]

It seems to appear that the mechanics are working without a contract and have been for two years. In my opinion they have been pretty patient in working without this contract and now everyone can see why back in july we here in 705 had refused to grant an extension.

The mechanics have ups right were they want them right now and should use this as bargaining power. You have dhl going belly up with ups looking to fly their air and internationals while gaining a nice market share of dhl's business. While the same planes that would do this work might not be able to fly if the mechanics walk off. We are real close to xmas and hopefully ups takes this serious and also gives these guys a contract.

To much to gain at this point but it also sounds like the mechanics have a whole hell of a lot to lose! Either way if a job action was called they would have my support and i would not cross their picket lines.